Anthony Joshua just consented to a huge $10 million deal.
Report: “Many” Problems Preclude Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder from Fighting Together
On Wednesday, a report on ESPN’s Mike Coppinger stated that Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder had agreed to fight on March 9 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Dan Rafael, a boxing journalist, refuted the claim on Thursday, claiming that while the two sides were getting ready for a fight on March 9, no agreement had yet been reached:
a number of unanswered questions, including what constitutes Saudi Arabia’s automatic second battle. Manager Shelly Finke of Wilder: “At this moment, there isn’t any arrangement.”Of course, the results of both fights will likely determine Joshua’s battle with Otto Wallin and Wilder’s matchup with Joseph Parker on December 23 in Saudi Arabia.
Promoter Eddie Hearn told Coppinger that the two were fighting on the same night in order to set up a possible meeting between the stars:
The reason the two are fighting on the same night is to set up and practice fighting one another. Thus, in the absence of a formal contract, negotiations continue. But everybody wants to initiate that fight… One of the most frequent questions is, “Well, why are you fighting a tough contest before Wilder?” That was the fight Saudi proposed for us to fight. Joshua has never backed out of a match. Wallin has been a member of our team for the last two fights. The only reason we haven’t boxed him is because he is a southpaw. Although fighting a southpaw with only six weeks’ notice and a new trainer is not ideal, the Saudis seem to relish the battle. They take pleasure in the fighting. Let’s firmly plant our fingertips.
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